Learning About Diabetes
If you or someone you care for has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you are likely feeling overwhelmed. Diabetes is not like other health problems you may have had in the past. For one thing, it doesn't go away like a cold or the flu. For another, you are just as responsible as your doctor for treating your diabetes. Because so much of your day to day treatment is in your hands, you must learn as much about diabetes as you can.
The Basic Facts About Diabetes
Diabetes is:
- Common. At least one in every fourteen people has diabetes.1 It is even more common for some. For example, the risk for people of color over the age of 50 can be four times greater.
- Controllable. Though there is no cure for diabetes, it can be managed by keeping blood sugar close to normal. This is done with proper meal planning, exercise, and possibly medicines.
- Life-long. Your blood sugar levels should improve with treatment. However, this does not mean that your diabetes has gone away. It just means your blood sugars are in control.
- Self-managed. Your healthcare team will advise and support you, but control depends on you. The choices you make help determine what your blood sugar level will be.
- Progressive. It is common for your doctor to change your medicine or treatment plan over time because your diabetes changes and can worsen over time.
To take the first step in your journey of learning more about diabetes conditions, treatments, and complications, click on the links below:
Reference
1. ADA National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2005. Available at . Accessed March 17, 2008.
